When Your Buyer Requests Home Inspection Repairs

What do you do when your buyer has unreasonable repair requests?

You have prepared your house for the market as best as you can.  You priced it accordingly, and now your property is under agreement. 

You are now awaiting the home inspection results from the buyer. 

Finally, you hear from your buyer.

But you find the buyer has a long list of repairs after their home inspection. 

You are wondering what to do when your buyer requests repairs for the home inspection. 

Are the home inspection repair requests unreasonable?

Are any repairs mandatory after the home inspection?

Should you do all the repairs?

Should you tell the buyer no? 

As a seller, you find that maybe a couple of the inspection requests are reasonable and some of the home inspection requests are unreasonable.

How do you handle reasonable repair requests and how do you handle unreasonable repair requests?  Find out in this article how to handle repair requests with your home buyer.

New Home Inspections Laws In Massachusetts

As of October 15, 2025, Massachusetts has implemented a new home inspection law under the Affordable Homes Act. The law provides that a home buyer has the right to a home inspection and cannot be required to waive that right as a condition of accepting an offer.

The law was enacted to protect consumers, promote transparency, and reduce the financial risk of purchasing a home in highly competitive markets. While buyers may still voluntarily waive an inspection, the new requirements ensure the decision is informed, documented, and made without pressure from sellers or listing agents.

The days of waived home inspections in Massachusetts are over. After many years of waived inspections, buyers can now strengthen their offers.

What Repairs Are Mandatory After A Home Inspection?

There are no mandatory fixes after a home inspection. 

You and the homebuyer have already agreed on a purchase price, and while the contract includes a home-inspection contingency, it does not require the home seller to perform any requested repairs after the inspection.

A home inspector may identify code violations with the local building department.  That still does not mean you are required to fix it. 

A new home can “be out of code” shortly after being built.  Building codes change regularly.  But you are not obligated to bring your home entirely up to code, because buyers are required by law to make it a mandatory repair after the inspection. FALSE!!

Most inspection contingencies give a buyer the right to terminate the contract without further recourse if they find unsatisfactory defects in the home.  However, a seller is not obligated to make any mandatory repairs after a home inspection.

In reality, many buyers may use this clause to negotiate a new price or to have the seller make fixes.   In rare cases, a buyer may withdraw from the deal if there are serious issues with the home that they did not expect.

How to Negotiate After A Buyer Requests Home Inspection Repairs

Your personal circumstances, the state of the real estate market and the seriousness of the repair will factor into how you negotiate after a buyer requests a price reduction or repairs prior to closing.  

Remember, there are no mandatory repairs after a buyer’s home inspection. 

But, it may be prudent to consider doing some of the repairs if asked.  There is no right or wrong. 

There are a few things to consider before negotiating home-inspection repair requests.

• The seriousness of the requested repair.  Mold, water penetration, faulty electrical, major structural issues etc… are all problems you may want to consider taking on.
• What will happen if your home returns to the market due to inspection issues?  In a buyer’s market, having to put your home back on the market because of severe or expensive problems can kill a future sale and the repair or repairs will likely cause a price reduction.
• The state of the real estate market and how easy it will be to secure another buyer.

Here are a few suggestions of how your home buyer’s home inspection requests can be handled:

Reject Any Counter Offers of Inspection Repairs

Of course, as a seller, it is well within your right to deny any repair requests especially if the requests from your home buyer are unreasonable. 

Don’t be penny-wise and pound-foolish, though.  It is probably not prudent to kill a deal over a few hundred dollars worth of repairs unless it is a strong seller’s market.

While you do not want a home buyer to take advantage of a situation, there is always some hesitation when a house has come back on the market due to home inspection issues. 

Consider What Happens If Your Sale Falls Through Over Home Inspection Issues

A house will become highly suspect if a deal falls through and comes back on the market. The first question from a home buyer is what showed up on the home inspection?

Remember, as a seller, if you are asked about prior home inspections and to describe any issues, you must answer truthfully.  If severe issues are not addressed, they will likely reappear with each new buyer during a home inspection.

A real estate agent is under obligation to disclose any known issues with a house, even if the seller doesn’t.  You can’t ask an agent to hide a severe issue with your home.

As I said, it is well within your right as a home seller to reject home inspection repair requests, whether they are reasonable or unreasonable.  But ensure you have thought it through carefully and consulted with your listing agent.

Negotiate Home Inspection Repairs

Often, a home buyer will ask the home seller to perform specific repairs by closing.  You can certainly negotiate which repairs you are willing to do.  While repairs can be burdensome for a home seller who is also trying to pack and move, I find this more cost-effective than negotiating a price reduction.

In my experience, a buyer will significantly overestimate the repair cost, while a home seller can have the repair work done for much less than the buyer is requesting.

A buyer’s head is usually spinning after a home inspection, with a long punch list.

They are like Chicken Little running around screaming the sky is falling.  In reality, many of the issues are minor and can be resolved simply.

Negotiate A Price Reduction

If pulling together home repairs before closing seems daunting, consider paying all or part of the buyer’s closing costs, or offering a price reduction to offset future repairs the home buyer must make.

The benefit of a price reduction is that it eliminates the stress of completing the repairs yourself.  The downside is that it can be more challenging to reach an agreement on the repair costs.  A buyer will always overestimate the cost of repairs.

Alternatively, you can handle the post-home-inspection negotiations on both sides.  You can choose to handle some repairs yourself and offer a price reduction or closing cost credit for others.  Nothing is set in stone.

A Word On Closing Cost Credit

One concern from buyers is if you negotiate with the buyer to do the repair themselves and you reduce the price of the home, where does the extra money come from?  A price reduction does not put money in your homebuyer’s pocket, but a closing-cost credit does.

Are My Buyers Making Unreasonable Repair Requests?

So what repairs should a home seller consider doing?

When your home buyer requests home inspection repairs take the time to review carefully. 

Do not immediately become defensive and think they are making unreasonable repair requests.

Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t.  But don’t let emotions overtake you without carefully considering what requests your home buyer is making after the home inspection

Ensure you have a clear understanding of what the buyer is requesting following their home inspection.  They should provide evidence of the issue by citing the specific section of the home inspection report that details it.  

Are The Home Inspection Repair Requests Reasonable or Unreasonable?

Now, you need to consider what is reasonable for your price range, the type of market you are in, and your location in the country. 

Consider two similar houses: one priced at $550k and the other at $850k.  The expectation of the condition would be different. You would expect the house priced at $550k to require far more work than the one priced at $850k. This is where your real estate agent really can counsel you based on what they are seeing in the marketplace.

Review with your listing agent what inspection requests are reasonable and you might consider doing (if any) and what buyer repair requests are unreasonable. 

Unless otherwise stated by the seller in the seller’s disclosure, a buyer expects (and reasonably so) a home to be safe, healthy, and functioning correctly at the time of the sale. 

Consider The Current State of The Real Estate Market

You need to consider the current market conditions first.  The market is very different today in 2026 than it was in 2010.  Today, the market is softening slightly, but it remains a seller’s market, and buyers are competing fiercely for good homes. But, in 2010 a seller could barely give a house away.

How you handle repair requests can vary significantly depending on market conditions.  Today, you can pretty much tell a buyer next, please, if they dare ask for any requests at all.  There is most likely another buyer right behind them willing to accept your house as-is.

In 2010, you had to take every repair request seriously, even if it was unreasonable.  If you said no, you could easily turn the buyer away and not know if you would even get another offer.

The Difference Between A Buyer’s Unreasonable Repair Request and A Reasonable Repair Request

Serious issues may arise that a seller is unaware of during a home inspection.  A seller may live for years with excessive mold in their attic or elevated radon levels in the home without knowing it. 

Both of these pose a health risk to potential occupants.  These are requests a seller should consider.

Other Examples Of Reasonable Requests vs. Unreasonable Requests

An electric panel that has had water penetration and corrosion is a fire hazard and should be rectified by an electrician and a home seller should probably consider the repair or a closing cost credit back at closing.  A homebuyer has submitted an offer, expecting the panel to function properly and safely. 

But a 100-amp panel that may be at its maximum but is fully serviceable is not necessarily a repair request a seller should consider.  There are no safety issues, and it is fully functional.

A furnace that is functioning properly but is past its useful life is another story.  As far as I am concerned, you are delivering a home with a functioning furnace and in good repair. 

Even if the system is older, I don’t see a properly functioning furnace as a repair request that should be considered.  The current furnace could die next month or last another 10 years, but it is functioning properly at this current time. 

If the furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, that is also a safety issue. It could leak dangerous carbon monoxide into the home.

What it boils down to is:

Does it present a serious safety or health issue?

An outside outlet that is not GFCI-protected or in an attic that is not to code is not a serious issue and should be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. 

At some point, the buyer needs to realize that they are buying a used house.  Not everything will comply with current building codes, and there are some dings and dents. 

I usually break it down to whether the deficient area of the home presents a serious safety or health issue, or a serious and costly system or structural issue.

Do Your Due Diligence

You have a list of items you might consider either compensating a buyer for or are willing to repair.  Do your due diligence and call some contractors that are appropriate for the job. 

It is much easier to negotiate from a position of knowledge than one of uncertainty.

For example, I recently had a buyer who wanted $ 2,000.00 off a pest treatment for mice. The buyer was providing a quote they received from a pest company.  I called a few pest companies I have used in the past.  I received a quote under $400 with a 6-month guarantee.

There is a vast difference there.  A listing agent selling your home should be willing to help you make those calls.

Remember, a home inspector knows a little about a lot of things but is an expert in none. 

Often, a concern from a home inspection can be resolved with a quick, inexpensive appointment with the appropriate specialist.  If a licensed electrician, plumber, or other professional certifies that something is in proper working order, it is very difficult for a home buyer to dispute that.

Negotiating Home Inspection Repairs

If your home buyer is being unreasonable about their home inspection repair request, outline what you are willing to do and what you are not willing to do regarding repairs or price adjustments. 

Keep emotion out of the negotiations.  It is easy to get angry or offended,

Many buyers will come with a long list, hoping to negotiate somewhere in the middle.  Start the negotiations, even if it is the smallest concession.

Give A Little, See What Happens

If the buyer asks for a lot and you are unwilling to do much, give a little and see what happens.  As a listing agent, I have often closed the gap between a buyer and a seller in situations that seemed impossible.

As real estate agents, we spend part of every day negotiating and your listing agent can be invaluable. If you and your agent have done your homework about the market costs of repairs and have a good understanding of how your house compares condition-wise to other places in its price range, calmly present your case to the buyer and know when you are just willing to walk away and move on to another buyer.

More often than not a buyer and seller can agree on terms they can both live with.

When The Buyers Ask For Unreasonable Repair Requests After The Inspection

You can’t prevent buyers from requesting unreasonable repairs.  I have seen buyers who want every minor detail repaired. It happens. 

Remain calm and discuss with your agent which repairs to make or avoid based on current real estate market conditions and your home’s competitive landscape.   Remember, everything is a negotiation. 

Some buyers will ask just to see what they can get from you.  Others may genuinely expect perfection.

If your buyer is truly unreasonable with their repair requests, be prepared to shut down negotiations and walk away. 

Prevent Buyers From Requesting Repairs After A Home Inspection

The best defense is a good offense. And, preventing repair requests after a home inspection starts before listing your home.

When preparing your home for the market, go through it with a fine-tooth comb and address any minor repairs you find. 

Minor plumbing leaks, peeling paint, and any electrical issues can all be addressed before listing your home. Ideally, they are minor repairs you can handle yourself or at minimal cost.

Is a Pre-Listing Inspection a Good Idea?

Consider having a pre-listing inspection.  A pre-listing home inspection will help compile punch list items to prepare your home for the market and provide an overview of what a buyer’s home inspector will look for during an inspection.  If you have addressed many of the issues, it can also serve as a marketing tool.

You can demonstrate that all minor repairs have been completed. And, if not fixed at least a home buyer is aware of the issues as well and should make their offer fully informed about any issues involving your home

Should I Provide A Seller’s Disclosure?

Completing your Seller’s Statement of Property Condition in detail will help prevent issues during a home inspection.  The Sellers Statement is a multi-page document where a seller discloses details about the home.

While Massachusetts is a “Buyer Beware” state and does not require a seller to disclose anything unless asked, a home buyer who is fully informed about the home should take any defects into account upfront, prior to making an offer, if the seller takes the time to complete the disclosure. 

It is very hard for a homebuyer to request a repair after a home inspection if the issue was known to them before making an offer. 

It is essential to have the disclosure in the buyer’s hand before they submit an offer. Your listing agents should require that the disclosure form be reviewed and signed along with the offer.

A Story Of Disclosure

A few years back, I had a seller whose home was generally in good repair.  They had three windows that had clouded due to broken seals.  It was fully disclosed before the buyers made the offer.

After the home inspection, one of the requests was to fix the windows.  My default position is to return the buyer’s signed disclosure and offer, showing they were aware of the three deficient windows.  

More often than not, that works.  The problem goes away.

Final Thoughts On Home Inspection Repair Requests

There is no right or wrong way to handle your buyer’s request for post-inspection repairs.  What is considered a reasonable or unreasonable repair request can be very subjective.  As the seller, you need to decide which repairs you will take on and which are deal breakers. 

Take the time upfront and consider a pre-listing inspection.  Consider doing any nuisance repairs. And a detailed seller’s disclosure can prevent many nuisance requests from arising in the first place.

Rely On Your Agent for Guidance

There are pros and cons to handling it each way and one may be better for you than another.  Look to your agent to see what is a reasonable request and what is not based on the price bracket your home falls in and the current market conditions.

Everything is negotiable.  Just because a buyer asks for something doesn’t mean they will walk away if you don’t give them everything they want.  Be reasonable and hopefully your buyer will respond in kind.

Do Your Due Diligence

Do your due diligence and don’t become defensive.  A few small repairs for a few hundred dollars can be much easier than killing the deal and putting your home back on the market after wasting valuable time under agreement.   Remember a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!!

At the end of the day, consider…  is it worth walking away over a few hundred or maybe thousands of dollars and try to capture the interest of another buyer?

Other Home Inspection Resources:

• Joe Manuasa 5 Tips for Sellers Regarding Home Inspections
• Anita Clark Should a Seller Get A Home Inspection Before Listing Their Home
• Paul Sian Top 8 Home Inspection Issues
• Bankrate Who Repairs? Buyer or Seller?
  

  New Home Inspection Laws in Massachusetts

  As of October 15, 2025, Massachusetts has implemented a new home inspection law under the Affordable Homes Act. The basis of the law is that a home buyer has the right to a home inspection and cannot be required to waive that right as a condition of having their offer accepted. The law was created to protect consumers, promote transparency, and reduce the financial risk associated with purchasing a home in highly competitive markets. While buyers may still choose to waive an inspection voluntarily, the new requirements ensure that this decision must be informed, documented, and made without pressure from sellers or listing agents.